Standard Life announces partnership with endometriosis charity

Standard Life has announced a new partnership with Endometriosis UK, the first in a series of partnerships aimed at highlighting the needs of people living with an invisible illness.

The firm will seek to build awareness of the challenges faced by those with endometriosis, with around 1.5 million women currently living in the UK with the disease.

One of the key milestones in the partnership will be the creation of materials to support advisers in providing financial planning for those with invisible illnesses.

Standard Life will also consider the support currently provided to employees with long-term health conditions, like endometriosis, to identify areas for improvement.

Barry O’Dwyer, CEO of Standard Life Savings, said: “I’m delighted that we are launching a campaign dedicated to those facing an invisible illness. We have long-standing relationships with advisers and their clients and we want to offer support where we can in a way that matters and makes sense. For many, planning for the future is challenging enough without the added complication of an invisible illness, and more needs to be done to address those needs.

“Throughout this campaign, we will work with partners who are experts in their field and who can advise us on how best to give this support. We want to help Endometriosis UK in achieving its long-term goals of raising awareness and reducing the diagnosis time for the condition. We look forward to collaborating with them on the development of effective policies and broader campaign work throughout our partnership.”

Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK, added: “We’re delighted to have Standard Life’s support in raising awareness of endometriosis in the UK. The organisation’s track record for customer and colleague care, coupled with its expertise in financial planning makes it a perfect partner for us. We’ve been hugely impressed by their willingness to listen and their desire to build a collaborative partnership.

“We need more organisations to follow Standard Life’s lead in attempting to cater more specifically for the needs of individuals who may require more tailored advice or flexibility in their working arrangements.

“There’s an infinite need for more knowledge and understanding of endometriosis, both publicly and medically, and we look forward to collaborating on this campaign in the coming months. It’s time for endometriosis to stop being invisible and start being a condition that we can all be open about.”